A Novel Gear Test Rig with Adjustable Shaft Compliance and Misalignments Part I: Design

Abstract

This paper describes the design aspects for a new gear test rig aimed at adjusting the influence of shaft compliance on gear meshing stiffness, while allowing the operator to impose gear misalignments. Static and dynamic testing is possible for the most important gear-related physical quantities: Transmission Error, relative displacements, tooth root strain, transmitted torque. The discussed test rig has a mechanical power circulation arrangement, where two sides can be identified. One side is dedicated to testing a cylindrical gear pair; the other side is needed for retaining a torque preload in the system by means of a second gear pair. Relative misalignment can be imposed between the test gears in the five possible degrees of freedom (three parallel misalignments, two angular misalignments). Shaft compliance can be adjusted by setting the axial position of the gears before fastening them to the shafts.